The invention concerns a stent for splinting and/or keeping open a hollow organ, consisting of a tubular body having a diameter which can be changed through axial displacement of the ends of the body relative to each other.
A stent of this type is disclosed in EP 0 901 353 B1.
The known stent not only permits radial widening of vessel narrowings but also splinting or keeping open thereof. The stent is introduced into a hollow organ in its narrowed and lengthened state and radially expanded at the narrowed location of the hollow organ to ensure that the hollow organ assumes its original lumen at this location if possibly permanently.
For automatic expansion, webs are used which are processed into stents. The webs can be lengthened against their unloaded initial structure. If the lengthening or radial deformation is removed, these known stents return into their initial state through radial widening. This effect is used for widening stenoses in hollow organs to prevent their function from being impaired, if possible.